


One More for the Road

by QuantumFeat72



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Chara Being An Asshole, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Frisk Being Uncomfortably Forgiving, I Don't Know How Boats Work Help Me, It was Supposed to be Fluff but Everything I Touch Turns to Angst, Nonbinary Chara and Frisk, Other, POV Second Person, Teenage Chara, Teenage Frisk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 01:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13136712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuantumFeat72/pseuds/QuantumFeat72
Summary: Frisk knows how to flirt their way out of a bad situation, and Chara does not know how to handle being flirted with.





	One More for the Road

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Charisk AU Adventures](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8554243) by [ChipendaleJohnson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChipendaleJohnson/pseuds/ChipendaleJohnson). 



> So I was reading ChipendaleJohnson's Charisk AU fic and through the whole first chapter I kept thinking "Oh that's an interesting plot element - oh THAT'S an interesting plot element," and then I saw that they'd said it was okay to expand it and then I looked up and it was 36 hours later and I had this so uh here?
> 
> (Chara's POV)

You curse under your breath, listening to the hurried footsteps of the enemy crew and trying to find a way back to the planks connecting your ship to this one.  You’ve lost at least three crewmen today attacking what _looked_ like a simple merchant ship, and you’re starting to sorely regret leading the attack.  Your crew will retreat without you if you take too long.  You have to get back.

You’re distracted by the sound of footsteps far too close to your hiding place, and it sounds like the person they belong to is shouting orders.  The enemy captain.  You weigh your options silently and decide to take a gamble.

Your knife is at the captain’s throat before they have a chance to react.  You grab them from behind and turn to face their crew, who’ve all drawn their weapons and trained them on you.  You grit your teeth nervously and hope they care more about their captain than killing you.

“Let me through,” you bark, watching their expressions shift as they process your unspoken threat.  The enemy captain shifts one of their arms and you realize that they’re holding a sword.  You push the knife a little closer to their neck and mutter, “Drop it.”

They hesitate for a tense moment before sighing and letting their weapon fall to the ground.  You kick it away and take a few steps toward your ship, glaring at the monsters whose weapons are still pointed at you.  (All of them are monsters, you notice, except for their captain.)  “Let me through,” you repeat, and they back away from you slowly.

You’ve almost made it through the crowd when a fish monster steps forward, weapon drawn, blocking your path.  “you’re gonna have hell to pay if you kill them,” she tells you.  You watch her carefully, hoping to God this doesn’t fall to fighting.

“Then why don’t you back off and we’ll all be happy?” you reply with a practiced smile.  She raises her weapon and growls and you get ready to move quickly, but your prisoner speaks first.

“Undyne, stand down.”

The fish monster stares at them, shocked, and you decide to keep quiet in the hope she’ll listen to them.  She lowers her weapon and steps backward and you hurry past.

“You’ll pay for this,” she tells you as you go.

* * *

“Sans, bring me some rope.  Dana, set a course for _literally anywhere_.”  You lower the knife and grab your prisoner’s wrists, binding them with the rope Sans brings and relaxing minutely now that you’re back on your own ship.  “What’s the damage?” you ask once you’re confident the prisoner is secure.

“five unaccounted for, no spoils,” replies Sans, “unless this counts.  think they’re worth something?”

“Could be.  Make sure we aren’t followed.”  You walk briskly to your room, pulling the prisoner by the arm behind you and slamming the door.  You shove them away from you and they stumble a bit before turning to face you.  You take a few breaths as you finally get a good look at them - it’s a kid around your age, which explains that fish’s protectiveness.  They stare defiantly back at you, expression grim.  They’re wearing a uniform...

You recognize that uniform.

“You’re with the Undersea navy,” you breathe.

The prisoner draws themself to their full height and answers, “I am.”

“Fucking _hell_.”  You punch the wall and they flinch minutely.  “Why didn’t you have your flag up?”

The prisoner takes a cautious step away from you, nearly bumping into your desk.  “What’s it to you?  Since when do pirates care who they raid?”

“You may have noticed I wasn’t prepared to take on a _navy ship_ ,” you spit.  “What’s your name and rank?”

The prisoner looks like they don’t want to answer, but they do.  “Frisk Dreemurr.  Captain.”

“Since when do they make humans captain?” you mutter, before noticing...  “Dreemurr, huh?”  You’ve been replaced already, then.  You decide not to dwell on it.  “So you’re chummy with the king and queen.  That complicates things.”  Your mind goes back to Undyne’s threat.  One way or another, you’ll have to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

“What’s _your_ name?” asks Frisk, and you almost answer.

“I don’t have one,” you reply cheerfully.  “Just call me Captain.”

Frisk sticks their tongue out at you - a gesture you can’t interpret as anything but adorable.  You laugh a little, mostly relaxed now, and tell them not to touch anything before exiting the room.

* * *

“what do you think?” asks Sans as soon as you have the door shut behind you.

“Well they’re a high ranking officer in the freaking _Undersea Navy_ ,” you tell him, massaging your temples and trying not to let your anxiety show in your voice, “so I’m open to suggestions.”

“eesh, that bad?”  Sans stretches and leans against the door.  “we could just let ‘em go.”

There are problems with that, and you don’t need to tell him what they are.  Your crew needs a victory after the slump you’ve been in, and letting them off scot-free would be a hit to morale on top of that.  Besides, you doubt it would gain you any good will in the eyes of the Undersea.

But any attempt at ransoming them would set you up to be ambushed, and killing them would land you on a top ten most wanted list by the fucking _Undersea_.

You sigh and shake your head.  “I’m gonna prep a cell.  Keep an eye on them and don’t tell them my name.”

Sans raises an eyebrow at your last command, but shrugs it off and heads into your room.

* * *

Your crew knows you have a history with the Undersea, but none of them know what it is.  You’d prefer to keep it that way, so you try to keep them away from your prisoner as much as possible.  Unfortunately, that makes you responsible for keeping an eye on them.  You bring some papers down to their cell so you can get some work done while playing guard.  You suspect you won’t actually have a chance to work on it.

“Come here often?” Frisk jokes, winking at you and grinning.  You sigh and hold a map up to the light.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

“How _responsible_ of you,” they laugh.

It takes you a moment to get the pun, and you let out an exasperated sigh.  “This is what I get for leaving you alone with Sans, isn’t it.”

“For what it’s worth, I prefer being alone with you.”

You wonder briefly if they’re trying to flirt again, but shake the thought away - even if they are, they probably just want to make you uncomfortable.  “Since when do they let kids join the navy anyway?”

“I’m not a kid,” Frisk objects, sounding genuinely offended.  “I’m eighteen.”

“And I’m nineteen, and we’re both kids.”  You grab a pencil off the floor and mark the map.  You can’t imagine Mom - no, Queen Toriel - would ever agree to put children in danger, especially children she knew well enough to share her surname.

Frisk seems like they want to argue with you, but they don’t say anything else for a while.  You’re grateful for the silence, managing to get a little actual work done until you notice a smell you recognize.

You turn to see that Frisk is eating something and speak before you can stop yourself.  “Is that chocolate?”

Frisk, catching your eye, moves to hide it.  “Maybe.”

“No way, where did you get that?”

“I know a guy.”

“Can I have some?”

Frisk hesitates for a long moment, regarding you suspiciously with the chocolate behind their back.  Seeming to come to a decision, they smirk, break off a piece, and hold it out.  “I want something in return.”

You have to stop yourself in the middle of reaching for the chocolate.  “...What?”

Frisk’s grin widens and they point at their cheek.  “A kiss.”

They laugh at your hesitation and you feel your face start to get hot.  Before you can stop yourself you grab their shirt through the bars and kiss them full on the mouth.

You linger a bit longer than you have to, and you tell yourself it’s because you can taste the chocolate they were eating.  You finally pull away and glance at their face - they’re blushing almost as much as you are.  You turn your back to them and hold out your hand.

“Chocolate,” you demand, and they hand it over without another word.

You bite into the chocolate and try to think of this as a victory - after all, they were only flirting to make you uncomfortable, and you turned it on their head, but the more you think about it the more you realize what an awful mistake it was.  You’re dead if this gets out to the crew and you can’t trust them to keep their mouth shut about it.  Not to mention this makes them all the more likely to mention you to Mom and- the King and Queen.  There’s... also a chance they genuinely have feelings for you, but... no, at best they just think they can manipulate you into letting them go.

You refuse to admit to yourself that you enjoyed it.

* * *

“We need to get rid of them as quickly as possible.”

Sans raises an eyebrow at you and grins.  “something happen?”

“No.  Don’t look at me like that.”

He chuckles to himself, but not maliciously.  “alright, i’m guessing killin’ them’s off the table.  we gonna let ‘em go?”

You nod.  “It’s our only option.  We’ll get close to land, give them a lifeboat, and get as far away as we can before they can contact anyone for help.”

“alright.  you wanna tell the crew or should i?”

“You tell them.”

“you sure?  i dunno if i can keep your secret, cap’.  i think they’ll see right _through_ me.”  He winks and you flip him off.  He laughs a bit, realizing you aren’t going to reply.  “but hey, who could blame you?  kid’s been layin’ on the charm pretty thick.  but i didn’t think you were that _bonely_ , chara.”

“Are you done?”

“i dunno, your face ain’t quite radish colored yet.”

You sigh.  “Not a word of this to the crew, understand?”

“course.”  He nods and leaves, and you give yourself a moment to calm down.  Sans can keep a secret, and even if he likes to poke fun you know he won’t spread it around.  (He’s your first mate for a reason - you trust him.)  You hope Frisk will drop the act once they know you’re gonna let them go anyway.  You can deal with a passing infatuation as long as they’re not constantly rubbing it in.

* * *

“I think Sans would get along with my Mom.”

You flinch slightly and look up from what you were doing - frisk is in the corner of their cell, staring into space with a neutral expression.  You make a noncommittal grunt and go back to writing.  They’re right - she loves puns - but you can’t afford to sound interested.

“Don’t you think?” they ask, looking straight at you now.

“I wouldn’t know,” you lie.

Frisk laughs a little.  “Hey, if we’re both kids... how does a kid end up captaining a pirate ship?”

“How does a kid end up in the navy?”

“I asked first.”

You sigh.  “It’s pretty simple, really.  Last guy in charge trusted me, so I took over when he died.”  You scribble something down so you won’t forget.  “Your turn.”

Frisk shrugs.  “I asked nicely.”

“I’m not even going to pretend to believe that.”

There’s a moment of silence while Frisk considers their next words.  “You’re pretty familiar with the Undersea yourself, right?”

“I’ve heard of it,” you reply, trying not to sound nervous.

“You recognized my uniform right away.”

“Like I said, I’ve heard of it.”

Frisk laughs.  “I’m sure you have, Chara.”

Your pencil almost breaks in your hands.  You look away from them and try to sound more angry than scared.  “Who told you.”

“You did, just now.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m serious!  It was an educated guess.”  Frisk stands up and walks up to the bars to get a better look at you.  “I’ve heard a lot about you, you know.”

“Of course you have,” you mutter bitterly.

“Everyone misses you.”

You clench your fists and stand up to look at them.  “You’ve made a mistake telling me,” you say.  “If you give me any reason to think you’ll tell _anyone_ I’m alive, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”

Frisk almost looks afraid for a moment.  “Why warn me, then?” they ask, scrutinizing you carefully.  When you fail to respond, they smile and laugh.  “Well... I guess I was wrong then,” they say, winking.  “You’re not Chara.”

“That’s right.”

“Then I guess you don’t want any more of this~”  Frisk holds out the chocolate from before and you hate yourself a little for the way you instinctively perk up in interest.  “After all, they say Chara loved chocolate.”

You glower at them.  “I doubt there are people in this world who don’t.”

“You might be surprised,” they reply, breaking off a piece and holding it out to you.  “You want one?”

“...Maybe.”

They laugh at you, tossing the chocolate in the air and catching it.  “Well, maybe the price has gone up.  Maybe a peck on the cheek won’t cut it anymore.”  They get closer to the bars and whisper, “Maybe I’ve had a taste and I want _more_.”

You almost accept, but you stop yourself and turn your back to them, crossing your arms.  “Maybe it was a horrible mistake that won’t _ever_ happen again.”

Frisk makes a sound like they’re disappointed.  You glance over your shoulder back at them and see that they’re pouting, looking down at the chocolate.  Something in your chest kind of hurts and you force yourself to look away.  You won’t play their games, not like this.

You spend a minute in silence staring at the floor and trying to stop yourself from going back on it.  You hear Frisk crinkling the paper they wrapped the chocolate in.  Eventually, they speak.

“...Two pieces.”

“Deal.”

* * *

Frisk doubles down on their attempts to flirt with you and you’re sure it’s just their way of keeping you from killing them to protect your secret.  You don’t know why you even threatened them in the first place - killing them was never an option, even if they hadn’t been cute - but a part of you is glad for the excuse to keep pretending there’s something real there.

You hate yourself for it, but that’s nothing new.

A few days before you’re set to let them go, they bribe you for another kiss and while you’re eating the chocolate they gave you for it, they ask, “So why’d you leave?”

You swallow and growl at them.  “That’s none of your business.”

“Isn’t it?” they ask nonchalantly.  “I mean, Mom and Dad are still pretty upset about the whole thing.  And if... If you changed your mind about wanting to stay away from them, I could let them know you’re okay.  I think they’d be relieved to hear it.”

“You don’t know them as well as you think you do,” you answer without thinking.  You look back down at your chocolate and add, “Besides, _I’m_ not the one they really miss.”

You hear frisk swallow nervously, seeming to consider their next words carefully.  “Is... is he alive?”

You hug yourself and look away from them.  “No.”

“Oh.”  There’s a moment of tense silence before they continue.  “Is that why you left?”

“No more talking.”

* * *

“Well this is it!  Ready to go home?”

Frisk startles awake and sits up, shrugging off the blanket you gave them and stretching.  “Already?” they ask, mock-disappointed.

You open the cell door and draw your knife, just in case (although you really don’t think they’ll try anything.)  “Come on, we’ve got a boat for you.  If you leave now you should make it to shore before sunset.”

Frisk stands up and walks over to you, but they don’t seem to be in any particular hurry.  “Will I ever see you again?” they ask.

“Let’s hope not,” you reply flippantly, closing the door behind them.  When you turn back you see that they’re holding out the rest of their chocolate.

“One more for the road?” they ask, looking up at you with a solemn but hopeful expression.

You hesitate, but take both their hands and kiss them again.  Frisk draws it out, nuzzling as close to you as you’ll let them get, and eventually you have to push them away.  You find yourself staring at their face afterward.  They don’t look back at you, eyes instead fixed on the floor.  You wonder briefly if their disappointment was genuine.

You pocket the chocolate and lead them back onto the deck, where the lifeboat’s all set up to send them off.  You can see the shore from here and the weather’s good - Frisk should make it there no problem.

They hug you before they climb onto it - a brief, chaste hug that leaves you more than a little confused.  They board the boat and you lower them onto the water without another word.

You stand on the deck and watch them go, knowing you ought to feel relieved.  You and your people can go back to terrorizing humanity now, and you can forget you ever had that stupid infatuation for the king and queen’s new kid.  Because that’s all it was, and you can move on from this.

You notice the weight of the chocolate in your coat pocket and feel a surge of anger with no source or direction.  You push it back and look up at Frisk’s little boat disappearing on the horizon as you sail away.

They were certainly something, you have to admit.  It’s no wonder your parents decided to keep them around.

* * *

~

* * *

Gerson is an old friend and shopkeeper at one of the few monster-friendly docks around.  You buy most of your food from him, and he keeps an ear to the ground for you.  He charges extra for information, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money.  A few weeks after Frisk leaves, you find yourself in his shop getting supplies after a successful raid.  You aren’t looking for gossip, but he gives you a look that means he has something important.

“So what is it?” you ask once the shop clears out enough that you can talk without being overheard.  You slip him a few coins and, to your surprise, he slides them back.

“Just a warning,” he tells you.  “Seems you’ve got the attention of a certain Undersea Captain.  Frisk Dreemurr, heard of ‘em?”

You curse under your breath and nod.  “Do you know what they want?” you ask, wondering if they’re out for revenge or worse, to bring you back to the king and queen.

“Wouldn’t say.  They offered me fifty gold for information regarding your whereabouts and I suspect they extended the same offer ta most of the shops ‘round here.  I’d keep your wits about’cha if I were you.”

“Damn it,” you whisper, glancing back out at the street.  You’re not sure you can hide from even one ship very long - you don’t stand a chance if they’ve got so many people looking for you.  And you’re not the only one...

“Don’t go anywhere,” you demand, and head outside to confer with Sans.

* * *

You re-enter the shop holding a hastily-written letter and hand it to Gerson along with a dozen gold.  “They told you to let them know if I came, right?  So you have some way of contacting them.”

Gerson takes the letter and nods pensively.  “Gonna cost you a little more’n this, though.  I’m takin’ a real risk letting them find out I warned you.”

You sigh and glance back at Sans, who’s taken up residence in the doorway.  “How much?”

* * *

It’s not unusual for you to catch the attention of some authority or another and have to lay low for a bit to avoid them, but if Frisk told your parents that you’re alive - that you’re running a pirate ship and actively avoiding them - they’ll stop at nothing to find you.

You run a crew of outcasts and pariahs, and they depend on you to keep them safe.  They took you in when you had nowhere else to go and they trust you to lead them to victory after victory and, more importantly, keep them alive.

You lost five people the day you attacked Frisk’s ship.  Good people.  If they come looking for you again - if it falls to fighting again - you’ll lose a good deal more.

This entire mess has been your fault, and you’ll deal with the consequences on your own.  You won’t risk their safety to cover your own ass.

So you send Frisk directions to a deserted island and order your crew to drop you off and leave.

* * *

You give Sans your hat and leave him most of your stuff - he won’t be the best leader in the world, but you think he can manage.  He tried to talk you out of this but you could tell he wasn’t trying very hard - he’s got a brother back home he needs to protect, after all.  Everyone reassures you that if you chose to fight, you’d have their support the whole way.  You tell them this ship practically runs itself by now and you’re sure they’ll do fine without you.

You watch them sail away and wonder if you’ll ever see them again.

* * *

You sit on the shore and watch the tides and wonder what’s going to happen to you.  If Frisk and their crew are out for revenge, that you’ll understand.  You’ve certainly earned it.  You hope that’s all there is to it.  You hope you won’t see the king and queen on their ship when they come for you.

You hug your knees to your chest and try to figure out what you’d even say to them.  Their child is dead because of you, but you doubt they’re going to blame you for it.  Part of you hopes they _do_ blame you, at least then this will be simpler.

Your mind drifts back to Frisk.  The week they’d spent on your ship still comes back to you in your dreams sometimes.  Their laugh, their smile, the taste of their lips...

You bury your head in your knees and try not to think about that.  It was a trick - you knew it even then.  They don’t feel anything for you and if they do it’s hatred.  You kidnapped them and threatened to kill them.  They spent a week sleeping on the floor and eating leftovers because of you.  They _must_ hate you for it.  That’s the only logical way for them to feel.

But at least you’ll get to see them again.

* * *

After three days and three nights, a ship comes into view wearing the Undersea flag.  You sigh and gather the food and water you brought, making a small pile and sitting a few yards away from it.  When the ship lands, you keep a close eye on the people coming out of it - Frisk in the lead, followed by the monsters you saw the day you met.  Their weapons are drawn.

As they approach, you stand up silently and raise your hands in surrender.  Frisk closes the distance between you and stares at your face for a long moment.  You try not to betray your fear.  One of the monsters approaches the pile you made.

“What’s this?” she asks, and you recognize the voice - it’s the monster who’d threatened you before.  Undyne, you think was her name.

You swallow and answer her question.  “Just food and water.  I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“Uh huh,” Undyne kicks the pile and knocks over a bag of rations.  She looks back up at you, gestures vaguely and asks, “So what’s _this_?  After all the trouble to avoid us, you send us a letter with your exact location and just wait around?  What’s your game?”

“My _game_ is not letting my whole crew get killed over my mistakes,” you spit.  “I’m smart enough to know when I’ve lost.”

“We wouldn’t have hurt your crew,” says Frisk quietly.

You look away from them.  “I don’t believe you.”

“We’re not going to hurt _you_ , either,” they continue stubbornly.

“Then why are you here?” you ask.  Frisk’s expression changes to something you can’t read and Undyne grabs your wrists and pins them behind your back.

“ _I_ might,” she says, and you force yourself to hold still while she ties them.

* * *

The cells on Navy ships are a lot nicer than the one on yours.  It isn’t rare for them to transport criminals, and they have a pretty high standard for what counts as an acceptable living space.  You almost feel guilty using the comfortable hammock, remembering the splinter-ridden floor you made Frisk sleep on.

Said captain sits outside your cell with a knitting project and patiently tells Undyne that yes, they’re sure they want to watch you alone.  She relents eventually and leaves them to their knitting, and it’s a long time before either of you speak.

“What do you want?” you ask finally, facing away from them on the hammock and hoping they don’t smell the fear in your voice.  The clicks of their knitting slow to a stop as they think.

“I wanted to see you again,” they reply simply.

You don’t buy that - not for even a minute - but you doubt they’ll give you a different answer if you push it.  “Well, here I am,” you mutter.  “What now?”

Frisk’s needles start clicking again.  “We’re going back to the Undersea, and you’re going to say hi to Mom and Dad.”

You find yourself having to push back tears.  You can’t do this.  You can’t face them.  Not after what you did.  You had a feeling this is what they wanted, but you hoped they would just kill you.  You hoped you could die without your parents ever finding out the kind of person you really are.

“Are you crying?”  Frisk’s voice drags you back to reality and you sniffle and clear your throat.

“No,” you tell them, and they don’t sound convinced when they reply.

“What are you so afraid of?  You know how they are, Chara.  They’re gonna be _ecstatic_ to see you again.”

“ _Liar,_ ” you spit, and Frisk goes quiet.  “You have no _idea_ what they think.  What they _will_ think.”  You curl into yourself a little farther and try to sound more angry than afraid.  “Their son is dead because of me.  I abandoned them to become everything they hated.  I’m a thief and a murderer, and if they learn that...”  You sniffle again and wipe your face on your sleeve.  “Even if they don’t hate me now, they _will_ when they see what I’ve become.”

You wait for Frisk to respond, but they’re unusually quiet.  You hear them shift in their seat and pick something up, and then there’s nothing for a long moment.  Finally, they sigh quietly and whisper, “You’re not a bad person.”

A bitter laugh escapes your throat and you ask, “How can you say that after everything I did to you?”

“You were nice to me.”  Frisk sounds genuinely confused.  “I... I wasn’t _joking_ when I said I wanted to see you again.”

“I made you sleep on the floor with nothing but a thin blanket,” you intone bitterly.  “I fed you _scraps_ off my crew’s table.  I threatened to _kill_ you.  If that’s what you call being _nice_ then you must be sick in the head.”

Frisk is silent for a moment, and then... “You’re not the first person to tell me that.  But it’s not about the food or the floor or whatever.  You treated me like a person.”  They sigh and you glance over your shoulder to see that they’re hugging their knees to their chest, propped up on their chair.  “You’re nicer than most humans I’ve met,” they mutter.  “Besides, you took a risk letting me go.  That was nice.  And you could’ve just taken my chocolate by force, but you didn’t.  That was nice too.”

You sigh.  “If you remember me so _fondly,_ why’d you hunt me down?”

“BECAUSE I remember you fondly,” they insist.  “Mom and Dad want to see you!  And... And I know you aren’t as bad as you’re making yourself out to be, and I _know_ they’re going to see that.  So you have nothing to be scared of,” they finish indignantly.  “You just have to say hi, and then you can leave, and everything’s gonna be fine.”

* * *

After giving you breakfast the next morning (a real breakfast - not the pittance you gave them) Frisk leaves you alone for a minute and returns with a bar of chocolate.  They break off a piece and hold it out to you with a nervous grin.  You reach out to grab it through the bars and they pull it back with a teasing, “Not so fast~”

They watch you expectantly and for a moment all you can do is stare.  This is... This is probably some kind of prank.  Their crew is probably watching through the door and this is just a ploy to embarrass you.  You look between Frisk and the chocolate and decide you don’t care.

This time though, you take your time with the kiss, giving them a chance to back out once they realize you’re serious.  They kiss you back with as much enthusiasm as before and you have to force yourself to pull away.  You refuse to look at them as you hold out your hand to collect the chocolate, but you know your face is bright red by now.  Frisk hands over the chocolate without a word and you wait for the punchline, for Undyne or some other crew member to jump out and mock you for your stupid, _stupid_ crush, but nothing happens.

You look back up at Frisk.  They’re staring at you and smiling.  You avert your eyes again.

“This isn’t funny,” you say quietly.

“I’m not laughing,” replies Frisk, sounding surprised.

You turn around and sit on the floor, leaning against the bars of the cell.  “Why are you still doing this?” you ask before you can stop yourself.  Frisk doesn’t answer right away, so you continue.  “I... I understood back then.  You’re...” you sigh.  “You’re attractive enough to flirt your way out of a bad spot.  I knew that was what you were doing and I _still_ fell for it.”  You clench your fist around the chocolate, which starts to melt in your hand.  “But why now?  Is this a joke?  Is your crew watching and having a laugh?  What do you _want_ from me?”

Frisk is silent for a long time and you finally decide to eat your chocolate before it melts.  You doubt they’ll let you kiss them again after that outburst, so you try to savor it, but you’re too nervous to actually enjoy it.  You daren’t turn around to look at them.

“You’re pretty attractive yourself,” they reply finally.  “And... and you’re a good kisser, and I like you.”  You take a second to process that before turning to look at them.  They’re facing the opposite wall, so you can’t see their expression, but they’re looking at the floor, and they sound nervous when they continue, “I... I really _like_ you, Chara.”

You turn around all the way to get a better look at them.  They’re hunched into themself a little, and their ears are red.  They look nervous, and they sounded... sincere.  You stand up and reach out to them, touching their shoulder gently.  They turn to face you and you look at their face for the first time since... since however long, and their eyes are a little wet and their cheeks are red, and you don’t have to rush or hesitate when you pull them into another kiss.

* * *

The undersea is as beautiful as you remember it, with the light glistening through the glass ceilings and making patterns on the marble floor.  It takes a lot of magic to keep the port running, but monsters are as resourceful as they are proud.  You try to savor it, wondering if this is the last time you’ll ever see this place.  Wondering if this place is the last thing you’ll ever see.

Undyne, having bound your hands again (despite Frisk’s weak protests) keeps a hand on your shoulder and leads you toward the castle.  Frisk walks cheerfully alongside you, and you find their presence oddly comforting.  Monsters greet them cheerfully as they pass - it seems everyone knows who they are.

You’re glad nobody’s recognized you.

When you reach the castle, Frisk runs ahead and Undyne has to force you to keep walking.  You hear Frisk and Mom- no, Toriel’s voices from the door.  You can’t make out what they’re saying.  When you come into view, she’s holding Frisk on her hip like a child, smiling and talking to them excitedly.

Her smile falls the moment she catches sight of you.  You bow your head in shame and follow Undyne to the door.  You hear Toriel place Frisk gently on the ground and walk towards you.  You brace yourself silently.

Toriel pulls you into a hug and you almost recoil in surprise.  You instinctively pull against the ropes binding your hands, wanting to hug her back.  Instead you lean into the hug, hoping she gets the idea.

“You’re alive,” she whispers, and pulls back from the hug, resting her hands on your shoulders to look at you.  “Thank goodness, you’re alive,” she continues, but you refuse to... no, you _can’t_ meet her eyes.  You keep your head bowed and try to resist the urge to cry.  “Why are they tied up?” she asks, and you guess it’s directed at Undyne, because she’s the one who replies.

“They would’ve run by now if they weren’t,” she says simply, and Frisk makes a dismissive sound.

“I still don’t think it was necessary,” they reply indignantly, and you interject before Toriel has a chance to say anything else.

“Undyne’s right,” you whisper, quietly enough that maybe they can’t hear you.  Your voice breaks a little as you speak and you bite your tongue, embarrassed.

After a moment of tense, awkward silence, you hear movement and Undyne ushers you inside.  You find yourself almost disappointed that this is happening in the house - it would’ve felt appropriate to do it in the throne room, to let them try you like the criminal you are.  You hear your dad... You hear King Asgore enter the room, but he doesn’t say anything.  You can’t look up at him.

“Erm,” Toriel starts, sounding more than a little nervous.  “Frisk, Undyne, would you leave us alone for a bit?”

* * *

“Asriel’s dead,” you say before they can ask.  You don’t look up to see Toriel’s expression, but her hand retracts slightly from its place on the dining room table.  “He died in the flood.  I...”  You swallow and decide to get it all out at once before you can stop yourself.  “I could have saved him.  I didn’t.  I’m sorry.”

“Chara...”  Toriel reaches out to touch your shoulder and you pull away.

“It wasn’t your fault,” says Asgore, and you let out a bitter laugh.

“You can’t say that,” you tell him.  “You weren’t there.  You have no idea how easy it would have been...”

“Chara, please, look at me.”

You sniffle, not wanting to let him see your face, not wanting him to see you at all, not like this.

Asgore sighs after a moment and rests a hand on your shoulder.  “Chara... are you alright?”

You laugh, and keep laughing.  The tears you were holding back come out full force and you struggle to speak.  “Am - haha - am _I_ alright??”  You hunch over to yourself and keep laughing.  You can’t stop.  “No!  Why would I be?  Haha- why... Why SHOULD I be?”

“Chara-”

“Your son is DEAD because of me!  And not just him.”  You sniffle and keep laughing.  “You have no IDEA how many people I’ve killed - how many innocent ships I’ve attacked - how - hahaha - h-how many of my _own crew_ I’ve led to their deaths.  You have no idea the _thing_ I’ve become.”  You pull against the rope binding your hands, shifting your wrists until it hurts.  You can’t stop laughing.

You suddenly feel Toriel’s hands untying you, and before you know it you’ve been pulled into another hug.  You hug her back this time, sobbing quietly, and Asgore hugs you from the other side.  They hold you like that for a long time, until you’ve calmed down enough to pull away and wipe your tears away on your sleeve.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, and clear your throat again.  “T... Toriel, Asgore, I... Please, please don’t judge me any differently just... just because you know me.”  You sniffle and wipe your face again.  “If... if the punishment for what I’ve done is death, I... I’ve accepted it.”

“Know you...?” Toriel asks, and after a moment you feel her hand on your face.  “Chara, please.  No matter what, you will always be my child.”

“No.”  You sob again and push her away, shaking your head.  “I... I’ve long since lost the right to call you ‘Mother.’”

Toriel responds by pulling you into another hug.  You struggle at first, but then relax into it, resting your head against her chest.

“Chara...” Asgore says, and you finally gain the courage to look up at him.  He’s staring back at you solemnly, and seems to consider his words carefully before he speaks.  “If what Frisk told us about you is true, you have never knowingly attacked any of our own.  Of course, that doesn’t absolve you of guilt, but...”  He takes a deep breath and continues.  “But it isn’t our job to punish you for crimes against other nations.  As your king, I can only see it fit to let you go.”  He rests his hand on your shoulder and offers a weak smile.  “And as your father... I am just so glad you’re alive.”

* * *

That night, you find yourself sleeping in Frisk’s room with them, in part because you didn’t have anywhere else to go and mostly because they insisted on it.  This room isn’t the same as when Asriel was alive, and it never will be again, and he’s all you can think about while you wait for Frisk to get ready for bed.

You don’t deserve to be here.

You’ve already made plans to return to your ship in the morning.  You know where they’ll be.  And after talking things over with Undyne, you seem to have convinced her that your looting actually serves to help the Undersea, considering you pretty much only attack their enemies.  This whole thing leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but then, pirating always has.

Frisk comes out of the bathroom and smiles down at you.  You make room for them on the bed and roll over to try to sleep, and they turn out the light and immediately curl up right next to you.  You start to object, but it’s cold tonight and they’re surprisingly warm.

“I told you,” they whisper, spooning you from behind.

You roll your eyes at them, even though you know they can’t see it.  “Yeah, yeah.”

“Will I see you again?” they ask, and you take their hand in yours and whisper back.

“I hope so.”

* * *

~

* * *

(Months later)

Frisk wakes you up by flopping themself on top of you and pinning you to the bed.  You push against them, startled, but give up when they start kissing your cheek.

“You’re like a frickin’ puppy,” you tell them.  “Just five more minutes.”

Frisk laughs at you.  “Come on, get up.  You’re gonna miss the sunrise.”

“So it feels like the middle of the night be cause it _is,_ ” you grumble and roll over.  “Thanks for the clarification.”

Frisk climbs off of you with a little “humph” and you think that’s the end of it until they pull the covers off of you and drag you onto the floor.   You land with a thump and groan into the rug.  Frisk pokes you in the face a few times.  “Morning, sunshine,” they laugh.

“G’mornin, beautiful,” you mumble back, hoping compliments will placate them.  Frisk kisses you again and pulls your arm around their shoulder, dragging you to your feet.  After they drag you a few steps, you give in and start walking on your own.

You haven’t watched the sunrise in years, and you almost think it was worth waking up for.  Almost.  Frisk leans against you in the chilly morning air and you hug them and nuzzle your face in their hair, still half asleep.

This part might’ve been worth it.

* * *

After the sunrise, Frisk drags you back into your room and digs through the bag they brought with them.  “I brought you something,” they tell you excitedly, and your drowsiness melts away when they hold out a bar of chocolate.

“Awesome!” you say reaching out for it before Frisk pulls it away with a sly grin.

“This stuff isn’t free, you know,” they laugh, and you kiss them before they can finish.  You take your time with it, not pulling away until Frisk is satisfied and you’ve pocketed the chocolate without them noticing.  Frisk bops their forehead against yours, giggling, before noticing they’re no longer holding the chocolate.  “Did you-”

“You’re dating a _thief_ , sweetheart,” you tell them, winking and exiting the room.

* * *

They have to leave around noon, and when you see their ship coming to get them you can’t help but be disappointed.  You’ll write - you always do - but you still find yourself clinging to them more than you know you should.

When you’re ready to say goodbye, Frisk takes a small piece of chocolate out of their pocket and holds it out to you.

“One more for the the road?” they ask, grinning.

You laugh and give them a peck on the cheek, and they return it with a kiss on the mouth.

“I’ll see you again soon,” you tell them when they pull away.  Frisk nods.

“You’d better.”


End file.
